ARGYLE FEST BACKERS, MERCHANTS AT ODDS

The location of this summer's Argyle Fest remains in limbo as West Argyle Street merchants and festival organizers clash over the event's effects on local business.

The annual celebration, planned for Aug. 27, usually takes place on the street, which is blocked off between Broadway and Sheridan Road for the day. But some merchants tired of losing business as their stores become inaccessible for the day have petitioned to move the festival to the Asian Village Parking Lot, about a block and a half away.

Ald. Mary Ann Smith (48th) asked each side to elect three representatives to work out the conflict at a series of meetings. If they can't reach an agreement, a Chicago City Council committee could wind up deciding the matter.

The two sides have already met once, but no compromise is in sight.

Charlie Soo, director of the Asian-American Small Business Association of Chicago, said having Argyle Fest on the street has helped the area's merchants prosper since the event first took place in 1981. Soo was one of the original organizers of the festival, which attracts about 10,000 people yearly in its goal to bring business to the street.

"It took me 14 years to build up the festival," Soo said. "If you move it elsewhere, even if it's a block and a half away, it's a different focus."

San O, one of the opposing representatives, argued that the event's traditional location has become more harmful than useful.

"The merchants feel that maybe in the beginning, like 10 years ago, it helped promote business," said O, director of programs at the Southeast Asian Center. "But right now because the economy is not good, they really rely on weekend business to survive.

"Time changes and situations change," she added. "We cannot just do things the same way time after time, again and again without looking at what's happening."

Chinese Mutual Aid Association Executive Director Yman Vien, whose group is the festival's lead organizer, said although she understands O's point of view, she thinks Argyle merchants should not take their present visibility for granted.

"McDonald's and Coca-Cola may be famous, but they still need to do promotions," said Vien, "Once a year, we still need to invite people to come to Argyle to shop at different shops and taste different foods."

Vien said that in a recent survey her organization conducted, 60 of the 73 Argyle merchants who will be affected expressed support for having the festival on the street.

Hung Dang, president of the Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce of Illinois, said Argyle Street merchants typically lose between 30 to 70 percent of their daily business during the festival.

"Their customers are coming in from the suburbs of Chicago and adjacent states like Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin, and they normally come in on a weekend to purchase groceries," he said. "But when the fest is on, the street is blocked.

"In the past, it wasn't a big concern because they didn't have competition from the others," he added. "But now with the new strip mall on Broadway, people who come to purchase stuff go to other stores and sometimes they lose customers permanently."

"It's just one day," Soo countered, "and people can still park their car somewhere and walk to the store if they want to."

If the opposing factions can't reach a consensus by the end of July, Smith will apply for a hearing with the City Council's Special Events Committee.